Moka Pot VS French Press: Ultimate Choosing Guide
Moka Pot VS French Press, how do you choose between these coffee makers?
If the flavor is what you are looking for, both produce fairly strong and robust coffee but the coffee from Moka Pot is more intense. No doubt a favorite among those who love a bold cup of coffee.
That said, there is more to just taste and flavor when it comes to choosing either Moka Pot or French Press.
So in this post, I am breaking down the differences and putting both of these coffee makers up against each other.
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At a glance: Moka Pot VS French Press (Ultimate Choosing Guide)
French Press: An Overview
Before, comparing Moka Pot VS French Press, we first have to know what a French Press is.
In essence, a French Press is a manual coffee maker which is more widely known as a coffee plunger or cafetiere (British and Irish will know this). The French Press typically consists of 4 major parts, namely:
i) Glass casing which is also known as the carafe;
ii) Lid with a shaft that extends to the bottom of the carafe;
iii) Filter piece which has a metal or nylon mesh that separates the coffee grounds and;
iv) A metal plate that holds the filter piece in place.
As the name suggests, brewing with a French Press requires you to steep coffee grounds in the carafe and then separate the coffee grounds from the liquid by pressing down the filter. A truly easy and straightforward coffee brewing equipment.
The resulting coffee from a French Press is typically bold, full-bodied, and rich as a result of the steeping process.
Moka Pot: An Overview
The Moka Pot on the other hand is a coffee maker that brews coffee by forcing hot steam through a bed of coffee grounds.
Hailing all the way from Italy, the Moka Pot first marks its presence on Earth in the year 1933. Alfonso Bialetti is the forefather of the famous Moka Pot brand, Bialetti, and it is in fact still the best-selling Moka Pot brand today.
Diving deeper into the anatomy of a Moka Pot, you can see the three major sections that make up a Moka Pot, namely:
Bottom Chamber: Holds fresh water.
Connecting Chamber: Holds a filter along with fresh coffee grounds.
Top Chamber: Steam from the bottom chamber passes through the coffee grounds and forms a pool of coffee liquid at the top chamber.
Taste-wise, coffees from Moka Pot are known for their intensity and it is one of the few coffee brewing gears that can come close to an espresso’s complexity.
Moka Pot VS French Press: Ultimate Comparison
Now that we have got the definition of the Moka Pot and French Press out of the way, let us now put them up against each other.
In this list, we will look at 9 different factors that set the Moka Pot apart from the French Press.
1. Brewing Method
The Moka Pot and French Press use very different brewing methods and so it is the first factor that we are exploring.
In summary, Moka Pot uses the Percolation brewing method while the French Press uses the Immersion brewing method.
To help you understand the brewing process, here are two simple step-by-step guides to brewing with a Moka Pot and a French Press.
Step-By-Step Guide To Brewing With A Moka Pot
1. Fill the bottom chamber with fresh clean water until the safety valve level.
2. Grind your coffee beans and pour them into the connecting chamber.
3. Secure the bottom and top chambers by screwing the pieces together.
4. Place the Moka Pot on a stovetop or induction plate and proceed to heat it up.
5. Once you hear a bubbling sound from the Moka Pot, it is an indication that your coffee is done.
6. Remove your Moka Pot from the heat source and serve.
Step-By-Step Guide To Brewing With A French Press
1. Remove the lid along with the filter mesh.
2. Warm up the carafe with hot water and allow it to sit for a while before discarding it.
3. Grind up your coffee beans and pour them into the carafe chamber.
4. Add hot water to half the carafe’s volume and make sure all the coffee grounds are saturated with water.
5. Give the coffee grounds and water mixture a good stir and fill the remaining half with water.
6. Cover the carafe with the lid and allow the coffee to steep for 3 minutes (Do not press the filter mesh down yet).
7. After 3 minutes, press the filter mesh to separate the coffee grounds from the liquid.
8. Serve your coffee directly from the French Press.
As you can see, the Moka Pot uses hot steam for coffee extraction while the French Press simply requires you to immerse coffee grounds in hot water. The resulting tasting profiles of both coffees are extremely different and we will expand more on that below.
Author’s Note: Use freshly ground coffee beans for best results. This is because fresh coffee retains a higher concentration of aroma and flavor.
2. Brew Time
Moka Pot and French Press brewing time difference are fairly small.
With a Moka Pot, it typically takes 5 minutes for the brewing cycle to complete. Most of the time spent here is waiting for the water to boil and turn into steam to begin the coffee extraction process.
Pro Tip! You can speed up the brewing process by pouring hot water into the bottom chamber of the Moka Pot.
On the other hand, you can get your coffee ready in 4 minutes with a French Press. The total time required can be shortened if you already have a hot water source within reach. Furthermore, brewing with a French Press is comparatively more straightforward and simple.
Verdict: French Press brewing time is slightly faster than the Moka Pot.
3. Coffee Grind Size
Moka Pot VS French Press grind sizes greatly rely on the strength of the brew you desire.
A general rule of thumb is that the Moka Pot typically uses a fine grind size while the French Press uses a coarse grind size.
In essence, finer coffee grind sizes expose more surface area of the coffee to water, and this increases the rate of extraction. You should balance this with the brewing time.
This is because, if you use finer grind sizes, extending the brewing time will yield coffees with bitter-tasting notes which is certainly not desirable. On the other hand, using a grind size that is too coarse will cause under-extraction and the coffee will taste sour and watery.
That said, different types of coffee roasts and origins may work better with different grind sizes. So don’t be afraid to change your grind size to get the best possible flavors of your coffee beans.
4. Volume
Brew volume for Moka Pot VS French Press is highly dependent on the size of the brewing equipment. This is because both of these coffee makers come in a variety of sizes.
Here’s a table comparing various sizes for the Bialetti’s Moka Pot and Bodum French Press range of products.
| Bialetti Moka Pot | Volume | Bodum French Press | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bialetti 1 Cup | 2 oz (60 ml) | French Press 3 Cup | 11.8 oz (350 ml) |
| Bialetti 3 Cup | 6.5 oz (90 ml) | French Press 4 Cup | 17 oz (500 ml) |
| Bialetti 6 Cup | 10 oz (295 ml) | French Press 8 Cup | 33.8 oz (1000 ml) |
| Bialetti 8 Cup | 18.5 oz (550 ml) | French Press 12 Cup | 50.7 oz (1500 ml) |
| Bialetti 12 Cup | 25 oz (740 ml) | ||
| Bialetti 18 Cup | 27 oz (800 ml) |
As you can see, the French Press is more capable of brewing higher volumes of coffee. So if you are planning to make coffee for a huge group, the French Press might be the perfect equipment for you.
That said, there is a simple hack around this to brew even more coffee per cycle.
You simply have to brew a more concentrated brew with either the French Press or Moka Pot and then dilute the brew with some hot water.
To do this, you can:
- Grind the coffee beans to a finer grind size
- Use lesser brewing water
- Increase the weight of coffee grounds for brewing
5. Convenience and Ease Of Use
When it comes to coffee brewing, ease of use tops the list, especially in this fast-paced world. Not everyone fancies tinkering with an espresso machine just to brew a simple cup of morning coffee.
In the case of Moka Pot VS French Press, the French Press is comparatively easier to use.
This is because brewing with a French Press is extremely straightforward without any brewing fluff associated with espressos and pour-over coffees. All you need to do is steep your coffee grounds in hot water and filter them when the time is up.
With the Moka Pot, there is a little more work to be done in order to brew your coffee, although not by a huge margin. The extra work involves disassembling and reassembling the Moka Pot and having the need to measure out your coffee grounds to fit into the Moka Pot’s filter.
That said, this is me nitpicking on minor issues when brewing with either of these coffee makers.
6. Taste And Flavor
As both the Moka Pot and French Press employs very different brewing method, the resulting taste and flavor of the coffee will be vastly different.
For the Moka Pot, high-temperature steam is capable to pull a lot of the flavor compounds from the coffee grounds. With that, you can expect your coffee to be intense, rich, and strong.
On the other hand, French Press relies on time to allow the flavor compounds to slowly seep out of the coffee grounds during steeping. Here, you can expect the French Press’s coffee to have a comparatively more full-bodied and bold flavor.
In summary, the taste and flavor of Moka Pot VS French Press is the most distinctive factor when choosing one over the other.
Author’s Note: While both make great coffees, other factors such as the roasting profiles and flavor notes of the coffee beans play a huge role too!
7. Price
The discussion of Moka Pot VS French Press will not be complete without comparing the cost factor.
For the sake of fairness, we will compare the products from reputable brands; Bialetti for Moka Pot and Bodum for the French Press.
At the time of writing, the Bialetti’s Moka Pot’s price is $49.99 while the Bodum’s French Press price sits at $32.99. This makes the French Press a slightly cheaper option of the two.
However, there are now many companies out there that have their own version of the Moka Pot and French Press and of course varying prices. It is important to know that the price is not an accurate barometer of quality.
That said, both of the coffee gear’s prices are fairly affordable and will go a long way before you need a replacement. In fact, if you have a knack for coffee brewing, you will eventually get both of them.
8. Portability
In terms of portability, the French Press is relatively more portable in comparison to the Moka Pot.
This is mainly because brewing with a Moka Pot requires you to have an external heat source. Unless you are planning to bring your stovetop along with you, this proves to be a slight inconvenience.
With the French Press, as long as you have a hot water source, you are good to go.
However, if you have the heat source sorted out, both of this brewing equipment is fairly lightweight and you can easily bring them along on your travels. That said, you may have to be more careful with the French Press as the carafe is sometimes made of glass.
Overall in terms of portability, the French Press has a slight upper hand.
9. Cleaning and Maintenance
Regular cleaning and maintenance of both the Moka Pot and French Press are essential to prevent the build-up of coffee oils. If left unchecked, these scums will eventually affect the overall flavor of the coffee made by these brewing gears.
Surely no one enjoys rancid-tasting coffee. This leads us to the next question.
Is the Moka Pot or French Press easier to clean and maintain? Let us first look at how to clean the Moka Pot and French Press individually.
Cleaning A Moka Pot
1. Start by disassembling the connecting pieces
2. Discard the coffee grounds from the connecting chamber.
3. Use a soft sponge with non-abrasive detergent and gently scrub the coffee oils and coffee grounds
4. Alternatively, you can soak the pieces in a soapy solution to loosen up the coffee oils and coffee grounds.
5. Rinse the Moka Pot pieces with clean water and leave them to dry before reassembling them for storage.
Cleaning A French Press
1. First remove the lid to discard the coffee grounds at the bottom of the carafe.
2. Fill the carafe with soapy water and put the lid back on.
3. Push and pull the plunger gently a few times to loosen out the coffee grounds stuck within the mesh filter. This also scrubs the coffee oils off the inner surface of the French Press.
4. Remove the lid and use a soft sponge to scrub off any remaining debris clinging to the mesh filter.
5. Rinse the carafe with clean water.
6. Leave the French Press pieces to dry before storage.
As you can see, the cleaning process of both brewing equipment is fairly simple. However, with the Moka Pot, there are more nooks and crannies that need scrubbing in comparison to a French Press.
Unlike the French Press, you can easily reach all of its surface areas without much effort.
Verdict: The French Press is comparatively easier to clean and maintain.
Moka Pot VS French Press: Which Should You Choose?
Both the Moka Pot and French Press make excellent coffee. Hence, I’d understand if you may be torn apart to choose one over the other.
So, to help you better decide, here are some reasons you can consider when choosing either the Moka Pot or the French Press.
P/S: The difference is fairly small and ultimately it all comes down to the preference for the flavor and taste of the coffee.
Reasons To Choose A Moka Pot
i) An easy and convenient way to make coffee. You can simply set it up and leave it on the stovetop.
ii) Preference for intense and flavorful coffee that resembles a fraction of what an espresso offers.
iii) With a Moka Pot, you have the option to craft different espresso beverages as the Moka Pot coffee is strong and intense.
Reasons To Choose A French Press
i) Hassle-free coffee brewing. Simply just steep your coffee grounds in the French Press.
ii) Preference for a bold, rich, and full-bodied coffee.
iii) Extremely cost-effective method to make great-tasting coffee.
iv) Better portability; All you need is hot water and you can make your French Press coffee anywhere.
FAQ On Moka Pot VS French Press
Is French Press The Same As Moka Pot?
No, the French Press and the Moka Pot are entirely different coffee makers. The main difference between the Moka Pot and French Press is the way they brew coffee. French Press relies on immersion brewing where coffee grounds are steeped in hot water. Moka Pot on the other hand uses hot steam to extract coffee from the coffee grounds.
Which Has More Caffeine Moka Pot Or French Press?
Moka Pot coffee contains more caffeine than French Press coffee per 100ml. For comparison, Moka Pot coffee has 219 mg of caffeine per 100 ml while the French Press has 74 mg of caffeine per 100 ml. However, people will not normally just consume 100 ml of French Press coffee and so in that case French Press contains more caffeine.
Do Moka Pots Make True Espresso?
Unfortunately no, Moka Pots does not make true espresso. This is because true espressos are brewed with an espresso machine under high pressures of up to 9 bars. The Moka Pot is not capable of providing such high pressures and hence Moka Pots don’t actually brew true espresso.
Closing Notes
And this concludes the comparison between Moka Pot VS French Press.
While both of the coffee makers have their own pros and cons, you cannot deny they both make great-tasting coffee with minimum effort.
In summary, choosing between the Moka Pot and French Press ultimately depends on your own personal preference. And I hope this comparison has made it easier for you to do so.
If you find this article piece informational and have taught you a thing or two when comparing Moka Pot VS French Press, please share it with your fellow friends. baristas and home brewers!
Happy brewing!
